Kathmandu
A high valley of palace squares, great stupas and temple courts, and a runway on the valley floor some 1,340 metres above the sea.
- Arrival
- Tribhuvan International · KTM
- To the city
- About 6 km to the centre by road
- Private jets
- Into KTM, through a local handler
- Best time
- October to April
The city
Stupas, temples and three royal squares.
The Kathmandu Valley has been on the UNESCO list since 1979 as a group of seven monuments: the Durbar squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each with its palace and temples; the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath; and the Hindu shrines of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.
Altitude tempers the climate. From October to April the rains hold off and the days run from 18 to 27 °C, the coolest in December and January. By May the rains have returned, and July is the wettest month of all.
- Bauddhanath The largest stupa in Nepal, and one of the two Buddhist zones of the valley's World Heritage site.
- Swayambhu A stupa that is the oldest Buddhist monument in the valley.
- Pashupati A wide Hindu temple precinct, about a kilometre from the airport.
Arriving
A runway in the valley floor.
Tribhuvan International is Nepal's gateway, six kilometres east of the centre at about 1,340 metres above sea level, with one runway of just over 3,000 metres and a control tower open around the clock.
- Delhi 1 h 25
- Mumbai 2 h 25
- Phuket 3 h 40
- Baku 4 h 50
- Zurich 9 h 05 long-range jet
When to go
October to April.
A mild highland climate, with afternoons that never pass 29 °C. October to April is dry, from 18 °C in January to 27 °C in April. Rain dominates from May to September, peaking at 547 mm in July.
- 18° J 16
- 19° F 24
- 24° M 39
- 27° A 75
- 29° M 158
- 29° J 341
- 28° J 547
- 28° A 474
- 28° S 323
- 26° O 78
- 22° N 10
- 19° D 18
Where to stay
Newar craft, in the city and in the hills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- The Dwarika's Seventy-six rooms and suites in a hotel founded to keep Kathmandu's arts and crafts alive, called by MICHELIN a museum you can sleep in, with three restaurants, a pool and an Ayurvedic spa.
- Dwarika's Sanctuary Forty rooms at 1,550 metres, built in the Newar way in wood, earth and stone, a retreat with yoga, an infinity pool and a three-night minimum.
Where to dine
Where to book in town.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Nepal. These tables are listed by 50 Best Discovery and described as fine dining by the Nepali press.
- Krishnarpan 50 Best Discovery Nepali tasting menu $$$$ The Dwarika’s, Battisputali
- The Chimney Republica, fine dining Continental $$$ Hotel Yak and Yeti, Durbar Marg
Elsewhere in Nepal
More reasons to come.
- Bhaktapur A royal city of pagodas and potters, twenty minutes from Kathmandu.
- Pokhara A lake beneath the Annapurnas.
- Jomsom The arid valley of the Kali Gandaki, reached by a mountain airstrip.
- Lukla The sloping airstrip where the Everest trek begins.
- Chitwan Rhinos and tigers in the forests of the Terai.
Flying to Kathmandu?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.